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The information about each tune is invaluable for a serious fiddler - from history and legend to alternate tunings. Where cross-tuning is shown, the author gives song notation, then also a second version "the way it should sound" - so that the cross-tunings ultimately make total sense. The book lists many stand-bys from the Appalachians as well as a few I've never heard of. A large collection. The info in the intro chapters is never not interesting and often informative - I found it interesting though how the author, as a classically-trained violinist rather humorously looks down her nose, ultimately, at these mountain fiddlers - revealing as much about her and the world she came from, as it does about the Appalachian fiddlers and their world... At any rate, by spending many hours listening to them and transcribing these songs, she has left us all an enormous gift. This book is a must for anyone interested in mountain fiddling history and/or the serious fiddler.

One of the earliest and most detailed old time fiddle instruction books. Lots of transcriptions of tune (many of them in cross tuning) and interesting commentary and photos. A must have for any fiddler's collection.

I love this book. Marion Thiede not only writes a good story behind the tunes, she also did a wonderful job transcribing the fiddle tunes in both traditional & altered violin tuning in a way a classically trained violinist can understand & includes several pictures of historic, old time fiddlers.I was expecting the appearance of the book to be like the picture shown, with the black & white cover, etc. Instead, I received an old, hard fabric bound, discarded library book from Loudoun high school library...car dealers call it "Bait and Switch". (thus, only 3 stars)The description says (I cut & pasted this from the seller's statement) The Fiddle Book: The Comprehensive book on American folk music fiddling and fiddle styles, including more than 150 traditional fiddle tunes, compiled from country fiddlers (Paperback)I do like (and will keep) the book, but would have preferred that the item I actually received would have been shown on the seller's page.

I love Marion Thede's 'The Fiddle Book. One of the most useful aspects of this book is that tunes are notated both 'as they sound' and as they are written, if the fiddle was tuned in standard tuning. In other words, you cross tune your fiddle, and then play from the music as if you were in GDAE tuning. Fantastic.